Assessment of risk factors for overweight and obesity in teachers population living in a large city: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Identifying risk factors for overweight among representatives of different professional groups is necessary to develop a unified strategy for preventing obesity and associated diseases in the working-age population.

AIM: This study aimed to assess the prevalence of leading risk factors for overweight and obesity among teachers living in a large city, taking age characteristics into account.

METHODS: The study included 141 female teachers of secondary general education facilities in Volgograd. Three age groups were formed: 18–29 years (n = 30), 30–44 years (n = 33), and 45–64 years (n = 78). The frequency of food intake, behavioral risk factors for health, and anthropometric characteristics were assessed. Statistical analysis was performed using Statistica 10 software. The normality of distribution of quantitative variables was assessed using the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test. The Kruskal–Wallis test was used to evaluate intergroup differences. Differences were considered statistically significant at р <  0.05. A multiple regression model was used to assess the contribution of factors to the development of overweight and obesity.

RESULTS: The proportion of teachers with overweight increased with age (from 30.0% to 70.5%; p = 0.001). The expected increase in BMI with a 1-year increase in age, estimated using paired linear regression, was 0.186 kg/m². Disturbances in dietary patterns and nutritional adequacy were identified: long intervals between meals (from 50.0% to 39.7%; р = 0.0103), dry meals at the workplace (from 70.0% to 47.4%; р = 0.002), deficiency of complete protein intake (from 56.7% to 44.9%; р = 0.046), insufficient consumption of fresh vegetables and fruits (from 30.3% to 50.0%; р = 0.046), and excessive consumption of simple carbohydrates (from 26.7% to 52.6%; р = 0.021). Most teachers demonstrated high levels of emotional (mean score, 2.8) and restrictive (mean score, 3.0) types of eating behavior. Lifestyle factors also contributed to weight gain (sleep disturbances, low physical activity, prolonged use of electronic devices, smoking; р <  0.05).

CONCLUSION: The most common risk factors for obesity among female teachers are sleep disturbances, sedentary lifestyle, unbalanced diet, and the high prevalence of emotional and restrictive types of eating behavior.